[time-nuts] DIY Low offset Phase Noise Analyzer (Erik Kaashoek)

[Mike Monett]

You stated:

Mike,
The phase detector is an ADE-1 mixer, the IF output of the mixer goes 
into a loop filter that has a corner frequency of about 0.2Hz to enable 
Phase noise measurements down to 1Hz offset

That is your problem. A double balanced mixer is an exclusive-or phase
detector. The lock range is determined by the loop bandwidth, as you have
found.

The phase-frequency detector is completely different. It will lock to any
signal in the lock range, independent of loop bandwidth. You can have a
bandwidth of 0.001 Hz, and it will still lock. Think of what this could do
for your phase measurements.